Another talented artist from the area is Shawnda Bond, of Winchester who has been knitting socks on a circulasock knitting machine (CSM) for the past seven years. She learned about CSMs through her mother’s interest in the fiber arts.
Her mother, Marlene, purchased her grandmother’s walking wool wheel at the estate auction in 1974. In 1992, they found a local gentleman that would repair it for them. In the fall of 2006, Shawnda decide it was time to refinish the wheel, but once she refinished it she didn’t know how to spin on the Great Wheel, so she and her mother travel in a snow storm to the Portland Fiber Fest in March 2007 to take a class on how to spin on the wool wheel.
This rekindled her mother’s interest in spinning. Bond’s mother had learned to spin on a flax wheel years ago at Conner Prairie before Bond was born. Her mother decided after this class she still preferred the smaller spinning wheel. Their trip to the fiber fest was just the beginning. The following May they traveled to the Fiber Fest at Solomon Park in Fort Wayne, where Bond first saw circular sock knitting machines.
The search was on. She was determined to find one of these machines. She purchased a manual on how to disassemble the machines, so that when she found one, she had a general idea of how they worked. With reading and research, Bond knew the make and the model of the machine she wanted. Eighteen months later in 2008 she located her first CSM. As of this date she still does not own the make and model machine she set out to purchase. When buying antiques she has always preferred to purchase an item in the rough and fix it up. History continues, she has never purchase a functioning knitting machine. As of four years ago, these machines are now being remade here in the USA. Her works can be purchased at many of the shows she attends and at the Art Hub. Saturday, November 21 she will be demonstrating at the Art Hub during Christmas Shopping Days in Union City. You can learn more about the history of this machine from Bond at the demonstration.
Lions Club meeting
The Union City Lions Club program Chair Ed Raszkowski introduced UCHS Boys Basketball Coach Dustin Baldwin at the Nov. 10 regular meeting. Coach Baldwin discussed the Union City High School basketball program which included the continuity from Middle School to the Varsity Team. Practice requirements and game schedules were covered in his talk. It was mentioned that there are 29 students in the program and UCHS is looking forward to an excellent season with this large and enthusiastic team.
Mallory Livingston volleyball
Another graduate of the area is IU East’s Mallory Livingston, daughter of Doris Ebling of Union City, who eclipsed the 500-kill mark for the year and has been named the KIAC Volleyball Attacker of the Week for Nov. 2-8.
The senior outside hitter from Union City, Ohio, had 17 kills in the only match of the week versus Cedarville to give her 512 on the year. She also added eight digs in the match.
Livingston, who has now won the KIAC Attacker of the Week five times on the year, is sixth in the NAIA in total kills and 24th in the country with 3.79 kills per set. She leads the KIAC in both categories and also has 337 digs to rank 17th in the KIAC.
Livingston has led the Red Wolves to a record of 23-14 overall and 10-2 KIAC. IU East has earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming KIAC Tournament Nov. 13-14 at Rio Grande.
Upcoming events include Christmas Shopping Days on Saturday. More exciting dates will be featured in next week’s column.
